Posted on 3/20/2017 8:00 AM By Keith Savino

Sometimes it seems like the insurance industry receives an inordinate amount of negative press. Tales of excruciatingly lengthy procedures and consumer unhappiness are often found in the headlines, while the stories of client satisfaction, industry compassion and professionals working in favor of their customers’ best interest are often buried or non-existent.
So, when the annual J. D. Power U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study, was released on March 1st, I felt a great sense of pride for my chosen field and the entire industry. After a 10 year rise in catastrophic events in the United States, over-all customer satisfaction rate in homeowner claims has hit an all-time high.
Greg Hoeg, Vice President of U.S. insurance operations at J.D. Power was delighted to report that, “Following the significant declines in customer satisfaction found in the 2016 study, property and casualty insurers have redoubled their efforts to improve the settlement process and fine-tune their customer intera ...

Posted on 9/14/2016 10:13 AM By Rich Savino

Wait? What just happened? You were cruising down the road, beautiful day, no traffic on the highway. Suddenly a car appeared out of nowhere, swerved in front of you and jammed on his brakes for no apparent reason. You attempted to swerve into the left lane, but a van suddenly appeared to your left and you had no choice but to hit the bumper of the car in front of you.
Suddenly chaos, the car you bumped is filled with passengers who are screaming of neck and back injuries. A few other autos stop and witnesses claim that you were driving erratically and had no control of your vehicle. When you point out the van that boxed you in, you realize that it is long gone.
You’ve been scammed. That particular Insurance Fraud Scenario is called: Swoop and Squat and it is designed to bilk your insurance agency of thousands of dollars.
Many dishonest drivers will maneuver innocent motorists into auto crashes. The cars may only suffer a small dent, but the crooks still make large and illegal claims for fake ...

Posted on 6/6/2016 8:00 AM By Rich Savino

It happens in less than a second. One moment an employee is on the job, working hard, smiling and looking forward to the weekend. The next moment, he is sprawled out on the floor, grabbing his knee, unable to get up, his leg bent at a peculiar angle. The receptionist picks up the phone, calls 911 and you can hear the sound of a siren in the distance.
On the job/work place injuries and accidents happen in less than an instant, but can have long lasting effects and huge financial impacts.
Workers' Compensation insurance is legally required in most states as long as your business has a single employee. It covers medical and disability expenses related to work-related sicknesses and on-the-job injuries. Employers' liability coverage, which is an aspect of most worker’s comp policies, protects your company in case of litigation, by paying legal fees and any awarded settlements should an employee sue you, claiming that an illness or injury was caused by your company's negligence or failure to provide ...

Posted on 4/4/2016 8:29 AM By Rich Savino

It happens so suddenly. You are cruising along in your auto, humming to your favorite song on the radio, and a split second later, you are wondering what happened? Is everyone alright? and did I do something to cause this? Auto accidents usually occur quickly, without warning and often the sequence of events gets muddled in the aftermath. Was it my fault? Was it the other driver’s fault? Recollection of what exactly happened can be impossible.
Police arrive, all involved parties and witnesses tell their side of the story. Wait? What? The other driver claims it was my fault. I don’t remember it that way.
This is just one reason, why I am advocating and strongly suggesting that my clients consider investing in a Dashcam. A dashcam or dashboard camera is a continuous loop mounted video camera that records the view through a vehicle's front windshield. Dashcams can be attached directly onto the inside of the vehicle (glass or dashboard) and removed when exiting your auto. It may be at ...

Posted on 1/21/2016 11:04 AM By Rich Savino

In the insurance industry, as well as in the Boy Scouts of America organization, the motto is "Be Prepared". And honestly when talking about insurance, the following statements are true:
The time to prepare for a possible insurance claim is long before the accident occurs.
The time to get ready for impending storm is before the first flake or drop falls.
The time to inventory your luxury items, jewelry and collectibles is before someone breaks into your home.
But most of us are so over extended time-wise:
That finding a moment to file sales receipts and appraisals, take photographs and record everything in a notebook or on computer can be daunting.
That preparing for an upcoming storm or natural disaster is done on the fly with the minutes counting down.
That planning for a "possible" issue with your car, is almost impossible and handled as you are standing on the side of the highway searching for help.
Step in "Modern Technology". The insurance ...